


christmas wishes

by icemakestars



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Bet gone wrong, Boys In Love, Christmas Fluff, M/M, bless, but still relevant, lucana is just implied, public embarrassment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 16:39:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17145314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icemakestars/pseuds/icemakestars
Summary: Gray has planned something incredibly special for Natsu. Natsu just needs to live past his public embarrassment first.





	christmas wishes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jinx13GXA](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinx13GXA/gifts).



> Happy Christmas! I hope you all have a smashing time this festive season... this is for my lovely secret santa Jinx! I hope you enjoy, friend :)

Fairy Tail was full for Christmas. Mirajane poured drinks as Lisanna and Kinana dished out the food, and although the guild was disheartened that Mirajane was behind the bar instead of on stage, they appreciated her and all she did for them. The feast was magnificent, and all of the guild who did not have a family were gathered. Gray was included in this, as he pulled a cracker with Lucy and lost, the blonde's smile brightening as she donned her red paper hat.

These Christmases were hectic, and loud, but homely in a way that his mothers cooking and cold, quiet nights reading with his father were not. He missed them, missed decorating the tree with ice trinkets and singing carols by the fire, but Fairy Tail was him home, and it was enough for him, a place to go when he had no where else in the world. The other members were his family, and Gray loved them - stars! - he loved them more than he could describe. But there was someone who had touched his soul, someone whose soul was made of the same pain, and loneliness, and yet his fire opposed Gray's ice, contrasted and contradicted.

Natsu was on stage with Juvia and Gajeel, the iron dragon slayer in a red and white suit with his guitar in hand, Juvia and Natsu dressed as sexy elves. Or at least, Gray thought that was what Natsu's costume was supposed to be. The fire dragon slayer lost a bet, and his punishment was to perform with Gajeel during their Christmas meal. Gray would be lying if he said that he had not looked forward to this for weeks. Natsu was always so proud and strong, a testimony of being the son of a fire dragon king, that seeing a different side of him, one more bashful and reserved, was a treat for Gray. And he lapped it up greedily, with excitement, his heart swelling with the knowledge that he was getting to know more and more about the man he loved.

As the lights dimmed, the guild hollered and whistled, excitement almost tangible in the air. A pale spotlight illuminated the three people onstage, and Natsu blinked against the assault of it. He stood back to back with Juvia, face flushed, eyes diverted. The green shirt he wore was open and ripped, showing off his impressive abs, and the shorts were tight with the word 'naughty' printed on the back. Of course, Gray had seen Natsu naked enough over the years for this to not phase him; the plastic ears and green and red hat complete with bells, however, was new, and Gray grinned at the ludicrous display. He could only hope that someone was videoing this for the future, or that Reedus was painting a suitable picture. Natsu would hate it, of course, but this was one of the memories that Gray would want to keep forever. The uniqueness of their first Christmas was hilarious, but it suited them nicely. Gray would treasure this, and hoped that Natsu would do the same.

Juvia's outfit was more reserved, just a green cocktail dress with red stockings, but it was still strange for Gray to see her with Natsu; they had never been especially close, and even less so once he and Gray had begun dating. She had taken it well, but there was a tension there still, and could be seen, if you knew where to look, in the tight lines around her eyes, and the stiff way her limbs moved. But even rigid, Natsu was still beautiful, and Gray was transfixed on his every movement. To him, in that moment, nothing else mattered.

The music started, lights cutting off for a moment, and Lucy clapped happily by his side. Erza was sat by the bar, keeping Mirajane company on one of her longest and busiest nights of the year, and Cana was opposite Lucy, drinking mulled wine cold and by the bottle. The show had begun, lights shining brightly now, and yet her eyes never left the blonde's face. Gray could not wait to tease her about it later, but knew that he was the same with Natsu. Some people were more beautiful than their surroundings, and art, like life, demanded to be appreciated. And Gray did appreciate Natsu, appreciated everything about him; this was the season to show the other man that, and Gray hoped that he would be given that chance.

Juvia swung her hips in rhythm to Gajeel's song, and Natsu followed suit. The guild jeered, but Gray was mesmerised; it was clumsy, and immature, but it was Natsu, and that was enough to endear Gray. Natsu's cheeks were pink, the hair which peaked from behind his elf hat sweaty and ruffled, and Gray was in love, could feel his heart soften with it.

This was their first Christmas together as a couple, their first Christmas with someone other than their guild mates, since his parents had died and Natsu had lost Igneel. There was a time, Gray thinks, where going home alone had hurt, had made him feel more loss than he thought he would be able to contain, but Natsu was so warm, and he spoiled Gray, made him feel loved with the smallest actions. He demanded that they spent the evening together, and Gray had always had trouble telling him no. There would be no better way to spend the festive season than with the man he loved and his son, even if that was a blue cat. It was a strange family, but it was theirs, and Gray adored it, adored the simplistic calamity of it all.

He had a plan. Everything had been organised with Lucy's help. The meal would be held at the guild, of course, but Gray had a dessert planned for them afterwards, something sweet and delicious and perfect for Natsu. Getting Natsu a gift had been difficult, because Natsu was such a sentimental being, and yet Gray lived a relatively minimalist lifestyle, only having and keeping what he absolutely needed, what was essential to him.

The other members did not buy each other gifts; there were too many of them, often with their own families. But those that were left, with no one else, had agreed years ago that each other's company was enough. It was different this year, now that he and Natsu were a couple, and Gray had agonised for months over what to get the other man. Chocolate was pointless; Natsu would consume it within minutes. He always wore the same clothes, and money was impersonal. There was nothing he especially wanted that Gray knew of, except...

It was impossible. Gray knew that.

That did not mean that he had to accept it.

It was difficult to drop hints without giving too many of his secrets awat, but he was confident that Natsu did not suspect anything; he was sometimes dense, especially with matters such as this, and although it often frustrated Gray, this time he was grateful that he could do this, create an elaborate surprise for his boyfriend on their first Christmas together. Something to remember and cherish for the years to come.

He had bought tickets to visit where Natsu had grown up with Igneel.

Working for years without buying much had meant that Gray had substantial savings, and although he did donate to charities and the guild and occasionally Lucy's rent, he had more than enough to pay for transportation and accommodation, and his stomach flipped pleasantly when he thought about how much he would learn about Natsu on the trip. His only wish was that Natsu would like it.

The song was slowing, and Natsu's hips swung out of time, truly giving up. Still, it was sweet, how he never went back on his word. It was one of the many things that Gray had grown to love about him over the years, and he felt it now, again, stronger than ever; Natsu was something else, a force that Gray could not resist, was drawn to, and overwhelmed by. He would not trade it for anything, the feeling he got when he saw Natsu, and Gray smiled to himself. He was truly a hopeless man.

Much to the relief of the guild, Gajeel’s set only lasted for fifteen minutes. Three songs, all reasonably short, and then Natsu and Juvia were climbing from the stage to sit with the rest of the Fairy Tail members. None of them booed Gajeel's music anymore; they had become accustomed to it, even fond of it, since he had joined the guild. It was still bad, of course, but it was improving, and as his family they would support that growth.

Gray clapped slowly until Natsu was by his side, slumping on the old wooden stool, snapping at the other guild members who teased his appearance. Lucy tapped Gray on the shoulder, passed him his discarded shirt with a roll of her eyes and a click of her tongue, and Gray did not allow himself time to wonder when he had shed the article of clothing.

"I think you did well, considering." Gray hummed, bashing his shoulder playfully against Natsu's.

"Considering what?" Natsu's eyes were sharp, and Gray sucked in a breath and released it, not allowing himself to rise to the obvious challenge in Natsu's tone.

After the seconds passed with no immediate reaction from Gray, Natsu stuck his bottom lip out, folded his arms, and Gray could not help the laugh that escaped him.

“Cheer up, Flame Brain! It’s Christmas.”

Gray picked up his discarded shirt and wrapped it around Natsu’s exposed form for modesty more than heat. The other boy’s face ignited again, this time with a different kind of embarrassment, and he met Gray’s gaze stubbornly.

“Easy for you to say, Snowman. You haven’t just embarrassed yourself in front of the entire guild. I’ll never live this down.” Natsu pulled Gray’s shirt tighter around his shoulder, leaning against his boyfriend’s side, and his eyebrows were still pulled together, forehead wrinkled with anguish.

When Gray stood, Natsu is startled, and gave him a confused and questioning look that Gray responded to with an easy smile. He climbed onto the table, ensuring that he had the attention of as many people as possible before he cleared his throat and looked each Fairy Tail member in the face.

“I just wanted everyone to know how grateful I am, at this time especially, to be surrounded by so many loved ones.” Appreciative murmurs sounded around him, his guild mates nodded their approval and agreement, smiled softly at his sweet words.

Gray spared a glance at Natsu, gave him a wink almost too quick for the other boy to catch, and then continued.

“It’s also important for you to know… that until I reached the age of eight, I used to wet the bed. That’s why I always went on jobs alone when I first joined the guild. And I used to pronounce ‘stoic’ as ‘st-OI-k’ until Lucy corrected me about two months ago. Oh, and I killed every houseplant I ever loved. Thank you, happy Christmas!”

He sat down, satisfied, and the entire guild erupted with laughter, intrigue, and confusion. There were tears in Natsu’s eyes, liquid proof that Gray's small gift of courage had reached him. Gray had never enjoyed being the centre of attention, but if it were for Natsu... Gray thought that, just maybe, he could do anything. Especially when Natsu looked at Gray like this, like the stars look at the sun; with enough affection and longing to burst. Gray knew the feeling. He took Natsu’s hand, rubbed his thumb along the calloused knuckles before pressing a deft kiss to the tanned skin.

“Now we’re even."

And they were, in everything that they did. Their souls were made of opposing elements, but their hearts were one, warm, and that was the only gift Gray wanted, one that he had received when Natsu’s lips had met his for the first time, and continued to receive every day there after.

 


End file.
